Chair control back back-plate with integrally formed bearings



F. DOERNER June 3,- 1969 CHAIR CONTROL BACK BACK-PLATE WITH INTEGRALLYFORMED BEARINGS Filed Sept. 28, 1966 INVENTOK FRANK DOE HER 'AT;ORLE Y:

United States Patent 3,447,198 CHAIR CONTROL BACK BACK-PLATE WITHINTEGRALLY FORMED BEARINGS Frank Doerner, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada,asslgnor to Doerner Products Co. Limited, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, acorporation of Ontario Filed Sept. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 582,745 Int. Cl.A47c 7/46; F16c 11/00 US. Cl. 16-128 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREBackground of invention The chair controls presently in use have theback-plate and the back back-plate each in the form of an U-shapedchannel which is formed with a base and a pair of upright sides, theplate sides being hingedly connected together by a hinge pin which isentered through coaxial holes formed in the sides. The hinge pin ispermanently secured in place by riveting the projecting ends. Adisadvantage of this structure is that the two plates are permanentlysecured together and can only be disconnected by severing the hinge pinwhich, of course, destroys the connection. Furthermore the foregoingconstruction requires special tools and jigs for permanently insertingthe hinge pin of the chair control.

Description of invention The present invention solves the foregoingproblems and also simplifies the assembly of the back-plate and the backback-plate of a chair control and also reduces the manufacturing cost.

The chair control of the present invention and by which the foregoingdisadvantages are solved, comprises a back-plate and a back back-platein which: (a) said back-plate consists of a base plate and a pair ofside members held in fixed spaced apart relationship by a rigid spacerbar and a bearing formed in each side member, and (b) said backback-plate consists of an U-shaped member having outwardly extendingsubstantially rigid arms which embrace said side members therebetweenand an annular bearing formed integrally with each arm, one of each ofsaid bearing members being entered in its respective bearing.

FIGURE 1 which is a perspective view of the pair of plate members of achair control consisting of a back plate and a back back-plate hingedlyconnected together according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 which is a fragmentary perspective View showing the hingeconnection, partly in cross section;

FIGURE 3 which is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the deflection ofthe sides of the back back-plate as the first step in assembling orseparating the same; and

FIGURE 4 which is a plan view with the sides in their normal positionwith the members hingedly connected together.

Referring now to the drawings, the back-plate, of conventional form, isgenerally indicated by the numeral 10 and the back back-plate, also ofconventional form, by the numeral 11. The back-plate 10 comprises a base12 and a pair of side members 13, 14 which are held in spacedrelationship by a spacer bar 15. The back backplate is also of channelform and comprises a base 16 and side members 17, 18.

The hinge connection for hingedly connecting the back plate and the backback-plate comprises coaxail bearings 19, 20 which form bearings forcoaxial trunnions 21, 22 formed integrally on the side members 17, 18.The bearings 19, 20 are formed by a simple punching method and thetrunnions are formed by any convenient conventional punching method.

It is quite simple to assemble the plates. This is done by means of atool or jig which will separate or deflect the sides 17, 18 sufficientlyto allow the trunnions to be brought into registration with theirrespective bearings. When the trunnions are in registration theinstrument is released and the sides will return to their normalposition and thus engage the trunnions in the bearings 19, 20. When itis desired to separate the two plates, a deflecting tool is used todeflect the sides 17, 18 to withdraw the trunnions 21, 22 from thebearings 19, 20 and permit the parts to be separated.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In a chair control having a generally U-shaped backplate and agenerally U-shaped back back-plate, in which: (a) said back-platecomprises a flat base plate and a pair of integral side members held infixed spaced apart parallel relationship by a rigid spacer bar and abearing opening formed in each side member; and

(b) said back back-plate comprises a U-shaped member having a flat baseplate for attachment to the back of said chair, said member havingoutwardly extending substantially flexible arms in spaced apart parallelrelationship which embrace said side members, and an annular trunnionformed integrally with and projecting inwardly from each arm saidtrunnions being extending into and interfitting said bearing openingswhen said flexible arms are deflected laterally whereby said back andback back-plates are pivotally interconnected to permit of pivotalmovement of the chair.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 16171

